


One Year Later

by 1AbbyNewth5



Category: Video Blogging RPF, Who Killed Markiplier? (Web Series), markiplier - Fandom
Genre: ;_;, Ben is worried, Descent into Madness, One Year Later, Trigger words, Will is a Mess, poor boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-02-07 03:23:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18612112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1AbbyNewth5/pseuds/1AbbyNewth5
Summary: Even though he always thought the Colonel was a bit of a mess, Benjamin stayed loyal to his master’s supposed wishes to visit him very frequently, at least a few times a month. That was probably a mistake...





	One Year Later

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of Tyler’s Benjamin Butler Interview stream! (at 18:26) https://www.twitch.tv/videos/292419385

Even though he always thought the Colonel was a bit of a mess, Benjamin stayed loyal to his master’s supposed wishes to visit him very frequently, at least a few times a month. And after a whole year of Mark’s ~~murder~~ death, he thought it was an appropriate time to do so. The Colonel did need some time to grieve after all.

He didn’t notice it, but right before he could knock on the Colonel’s door, Ben found himself feeling nervous. The Colonel was always an eccentric man, and as the mayor would put it, it always has been his best and worst quality. His behavior would always be a bit iffy when it comes to deaths of a family member, or a friend, or some other kind of loved one. And considering he lived with Mark, was close to the mayor, and was in love and had an affair with Mark’s wife… who was also the mayor’s twin sister… Benjamin had no idea what to expect how this man could be a year after their strange supernatural deaths. He kind of almost didn’t want to know how he’s been doing. Nevertheless though, the Butler took a deep breath, and knocked on the Colonel’s door.

… Nothing.

After clearing his throat, Ben knocked on the door again. He twiddled his thumbs behind his back as he heard something fall over in the Colonel’s house, followed by a loud “OW!”

Benjamin took a small step back on the Colonel’s porch, hearing him stomp to his front door. “So you finally admit it was all a gag, eh, Detective-?”

Benjamin held his breath as he saw the Colonel standing right in front of him after he opened his door. He forgot how short the Colonel was without his boots. His hair and mustache were a pair of tangled messes, he has a stained faded yellow shirt on, torn-to-the-knee pants, and his glasses were tilted at an odd angle. His tiny monocle glasses were apparently broken off as well. Ben gulped as the Colonel was staring at him from head to toe.

It only took the Colonel a quick moment after rubbing his eyes to recognize the Butler. As he did, his eyes widened, and he smiled. “Ben? Oh, it’s _you!_ How could I forget? How long has it been since I’ve last seen you? Come in!”

Benjamin mumbled a quiet “A year…” as he entered the Colonel’s house. He looked around and surprisingly, not a whole lot was a mess, except there was this huge banner that was hung up on the Colonel’s semi-broken ceiling fan with goofy lettering; “WELCOME BACK, C+D!!!”

Ben winced at that, remembering the mayor’s and his sister’s deaths. Poor Colonel, he must be in denial…

He looked back at the Colonel, who was stumbling through a huge pile of clothes to change his pants. “I had no idea you wanted to visit! Sorry if the place triggers your butler OCD, I just haven’t had the chance to tidy up in a while~”

Benjamin forced a grin. “Yes, well… I, ah… just wanted to see how you were after a year of Mark’s uh…”

“I already know what you’re going to say, no need to summarize!” The Colonel hopped around the floor with one foot while trying to stick his other perfectly through his pant leg. He pointed to a bright brown shiny leather chair. “Sit over there if you’d like!”

Ben cautiously stepped over multiple torn up newspaper clippings and worn out socks, only to almost stumble face first into the chair. He finally got himself situated, as the Colonel plopped onto his couch, that was just surrounded by pillows and crochet blankets. The Butler smiled slightly at one familiar blanket, which Celine crocheted during a certain Christmas year.

“Ah, this one was always my favorite,” the Colonel’s voice went soft as he yanked the blanket by a corner, and looked at it with big loving eyes. Benjamin’s smile grew a tiny bit.

“Yes, Celine was always very talented when making blankets, wasn’t she?” he asked. The Colonel’s smile didn’t go away as his eyes shot up to the Butler. He was still clinging onto Celine’s Christmas blanket.

“What do you mean ‘ _was_ ’?” he asked. Ben blinked, narrowing his eyebrows.

“Well…” he started quietly, fiddling with his thumbs again. “Y- You know… About her death… along with Damien’s, and… and Mark’s…”

Then, out of nowhere, the Colonel started laughing. Ben kept himself still, staring at him, dumbfounded. The Colonel wiped an eye, while hugging his stomach as he giggled intensely. He sniffled a bit. “What, you don’t know? They’re still alive!”

Benjamin’s chest rose, feeling his heart skip a beat. As convincing as that sounded from the Colonel’s voice, if only the news were true…

Ben put a hand up. “From what I can recall… Mark, Celine, and Damien were reportedly dead, due to unknown and unfortunate circumstances! And so has the poor District Attorney, as I’ve learned just a few months ago!”

The Colonel sat up, still having a strange case of the giggles. “Hohohohoho, that’s where you’re wrong, Benji~! I should know, because I didn’t leave like I wasn’t committed to keep playing along!”

The Butler blinked again, even more dumbfounded by the Colonel’s words. “What??”

The Colonel spread his arms up wide. “It was all a big prank on me!”

Benjamin recoiled his hand back, biting his lip. “No, you- you don’t understand, I was at Mark’s funeral-”

“Oh, he must have dressed a dummy doll in one of his stupid robes and put it in the coffin while nobody was looking,” the Colonel crossed his arms at the thought. “He’s admitted before that he’s dedicated to play his part, no matter how far he goes into it!”

One of Ben’s feet were stepped on by the other, almost pressing his toes in uncomfortably. The Colonel started going on about Mark’s dedication to acting, and Damien, Celine, the District Attorney, the Chef, the Groundskeeper, and Ben himself being included in with Mark to form a big prank poker ~~murder~~ party, along with the Colonel standing up from his couch and forming a lot of arm movements and gestures that he always makes while telling stories…

And then he went on about seeing the District Attorney getting up after being shot, and… death not being real… How is that possible?

The more the Colonel went on, the more uncomfortable the poor Butler felt. Of course he didn’t _believe_ what the Colonel he was saying, he just felt uncomfortable because he is laughing in the face of what just happened to his closest loved ones a whole year ago! What the hell did the Colonel get himself into?!

“Are you alright, Benji?” the Colonel asked, interrupting himself, body posture completely changing. “You look a little pale.”

Benjamin was gripping on his knees with pursed lips and wide eyes, staring at nothing until the Colonel snapped his fingers in front of his nose. “Drifting off into your own world, I see? I know, it’s a lot to take in, especially when finding out that death is nothing but a myth. That’s why I set up the banner! Damien and Celine could show up any second, and surprise me while Mark continues to be his normal asshole self and we never see him ever again!”

Benjamin ran a hand through his hair. He desperately wanted to leave. The man’s gone mad!

“Colonel, I…” Ben had to think up a lie quick. “I’ve… actually been sent by Mark to check up on you after the… ‘prank’…”

The Colonel’s eyes lit up. “Really? Did Celine or Damien say something? Do they miss me? Are they coming home?”

Benjamin stood up slowly heading to the Colonel’s door. “Yes! Yes, they- they- they _will_ be coming home soon, yes! I, uh, I have a job interview to go to, and I don’t want to be late, it- it was very nice seeing you, Colonel! I hope to visit again soon!”

The Butler was right against the door, jiggling onto the handle to open it. The Colonel kept following him with a big excited smile on his face. “Oh, I’m so glad! Give Celine kisses on the cheek for me! Hope you visit again, but not too much!”

Ben slammed the door with his back against it. He quickly took a few steps off of the Colonel’s porch, taking multiple breaths. He cleared his throat while attempting to fixing his bowtie as he continued walking off, worriedly processing what he just went through. Not as bad as Mark’s ~~murder~~ death, but still very worrying, especially when it’s about the Colonel and his mental health…

Visiting William was probably a mistake…


End file.
